Providing answer box functionality to third party search engines

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for providing answer box functionality to a third party search engine. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, by a search engine, a search query, generating one or more search results that are responsive to the search query, generating an answer box request based on the search query, transmitting the answer box request to another search engine, receiving, in response to the answer box request, an answer box result from the other search engine, generating a search engine results page that includes one or more of the search results, and that includes an answer box that references information included in the answer box result, and providing the search engine results page.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 one or more computers; and 
 a computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more computers having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, by a first search engine that is provided by a first search engine provider, answer box code from a second search engine that is provided by a second, different search engine provider, and embedding the second search engine's answer box code in the first search engine's search results template; 
 receiving, by the first search engine, a search query, 
 generating, by the first search engine, one or more search results that are responsive to the search query, 
 invoking the first search engine's search results template in which the second search engine's answer box code is embedded and, in response to invoking the first search engine's search results template, selecting fewer than all terms of the search query and transmitting the selected terms in an answer box request to the second search engine, 
 receiving, by the first search engine and in response to the answer box request, an answer box result from the second search engine, 
 generating a first search engine results page that includes one or more of the first search engine search results, and that includes an answer box that references information included in the answer box result from the second search engine, and 
 providing the first search engine results page. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information included in the answer box result from the second search engine answers a question that is stated by, or that is implicit to, the search query received by the first search engine. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the answer box request specifies a type of answer box result that is to be generated by the second search engine. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information included in the answer box result represents current information at a time when or after the answer box request has been transmitted to the second search engine. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the fewer than all terms of the search query further comprises:
 selecting one or more types of answer boxes that the other search engine is to generate; and 
 selecting the one or more terms that correspond to the types of answer boxes. 
 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first search engine results page is generated by a desktop search engine. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the answer box request comprises an Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) request. 
     
     
       8. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, by a first search engine that is provided by a first search engine provider, answer box code from a second search engine that is provided by a second, different search engine provider, and embedding the second search engine's answer box code in the first search engine's search results template; 
 receiving, by the first search engine, a search query, 
 generating, by the first search engine, one or more search results that are responsive to the search query, 
 invoking the first search engine's search results template in which the second search engine's answer box code is embedded and, in response to invoking the first search engine's search results template, selecting fewer than all terms of the search query and transmitting the selected terms in an answer box request to the second search engine, 
 receiving, by the first search engine and in response to the answer box request, an answer box result from the second search engine, 
 generating a first search engine results page that includes one or more of the first search engine search results, and that includes an answer box that references information included in the answer box result from the second search engine, and 
 providing the first search engine results page. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the information included in the answer box result from the second search engine answers a question that is stated by, or that is implicit to, the search query received by the first search engine. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the answer box request specifies a type of answer box result that is to be generated by the second search engine. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the information included in the answer box result represents current information at a time when or after the answer box request has been transmitted to the second search engine. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , wherein selecting the fewer than all terms of the search query further comprises:
 selecting one or more types of answer boxes that the other search engine is to generate; and 
 selecting the one or more terms that correspond to the types of answer boxes. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first search engine results page is generated by a desktop search engine. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the answer box request comprises an Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) request. 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, by a first search engine that is provided by a first search engine provider, answer box code from a second search engine that is provided by a second, different search engine provider, and embedding the second search engine's answer box code in the first search engine's search results template; 
 receiving, by the first search engine, a search query, 
 generating, by the first search engine, one or more search results that are responsive to the search query, 
 invoking the first search engine's search results template in which the second search engine's answer box code is embedded and, in response to invoking the first search engine's search results template, selecting fewer than all terms of the search query and transmitting the selected terms in an answer box request to the second search engine, 
 receiving, by the first search engine and in response to the answer box request, an answer box result from the second search engine, 
 generating a first search engine results page that includes one or more of the first search engine search results, and that includes an answer box that references information included in the answer box result from the second search engine, and 
 providing the first search engine results page. 
 
     
     
       16. The medium of  claim 15 , wherein the information included in the answer box result from the second search engine answers a question that is stated by, or that is implicit to, the search query received by the first search engine. 
     
     
       17. The medium of  claim 15 , wherein the answer box request specifies a type of answer box result that is to be generated by the second search engine.